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Willem-Alexander van Oranje-Nassau (1967)
}} Family Willem-Alexander is related to all previous hereditary rulers of the Netherlands and to all royal families of Europe. Oldest paternal ancestor on Familypedia Joachim Karl Theodor von Amsberg (1777-1842) Oldest maternal ancestor on Familypedia Helene von Nassau (1831-1888) Early life and education Prince Willem-Alexander is the eldest son of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and her late husband, Claus von Amsberg. The Prince was born in Utrecht. His godparents are Prince Bernhard (his grandfather), Prince Ferdinand von Bismarck, former Dutch Prime Minister Dr. Jelle Zijlstra, Gosta van Amsberg, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark (at the time Crown Princess of Denmark), and Renee Smith. He was educated at a Protestant high school in The Hague, and also attended the United World College of the Atlantic in Wales prior to university. He has been groomed in state affairs to assume the Dutch throne one day. He earned an academic degree in history from Leiden University and is interested in international water management issues. Leisure activities He is an aircraft pilot and sportsman. In 1989, the Prince flew as a volunteer for the "African Medical Research and Education Foundation" (AMREF) in Kenya, and in 1991 he spent a month flying for the Kenya Wildlife Service. To make sure he flies enough miles a year, so that he can hold his license to fly, he also regularly flies the Dutch Royal Airplane when he and his family travel abroad. Using the name "van Buren", one of the less well-known surnames of the House of Orange-Nassau, he has participated in the New York City Marathon, where his aunt, Princess Christina and several cousins live. In the Netherlands, he was a participant in the Frisian Elfstedentocht. The Prince was also seen cheering on the Netherlands national football team during their hosting year, at Euro 2000, always wearing an orange vest. He memorably gave a nervous laugh of disbelief as the Netherlands missed their second penalty of normal time against the Italians in the semi-final. Marriage In a 1999 television interview, the Prince declared that he wouldn't marry in the next 10 years. At the time, he was 32 years old, and his father didn't marry until he was nearly 40. Nonetheless, on 2 February 2002, he married at Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti, an Argentine woman of Spanish and Italian ancestry who, prior to their marriage, worked as an investment banker in New York City. Like all Dutch monarchs, Prince Willem-Alexander is a nominal member of the Protestant Dutch Reformed Church but, unlike the highly controversial 1964 marriage to a Roman Catholic by his aunt, Princess Irene, religion was not a major issue in the Prince's marriage. The prince is a direct descendant of Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange, eldest daughter of British King George II. However, under the British Act of Settlement (1701), Prince Willem-Alexander forfeited his (distant) succession rights to the throne of each of the sixteen Commonwealth Realms, because he married a Roman Catholic. The issue of Máxima's father, Jorge Horacio Zorreguieta Stefanini, was rather sensitive. He was a civilian member of the Videla regime, a dictatorship that ruled Argentina from 1976 to 1983. As a result of the controversy, Mr. Zorreguieta agreed not to attend the royal wedding when representatives of Prime Minister Wim Kok requested that he stay away. References External links * Biography about The Prince of Orange - Official website of the Dutch Royal House * Royal House of the Netherlands - Website Prodigy.net Category:Born in Utrecht Category:Married in Amsterdam 1980 2013